Va’eira’ 5779​

🎤Kol-🐥Hayyah🐘​ - קוֹל־חַיָּ֖ה​Va’eira’ 5779: Rabbi Rick Brody

For the Jewish people, the archetypal image of mass unjust suffering—oppression and subjugation of the weak at the hands of those in power—is that of the Egyptian enslavement of the Israelites. So, too, the story that has offered Jews and non-Jews hope for a better life for the downtrodden is that of the Exodus—the breaking of the yoke of Egyptian servitude and the release of the once enslaved Israelites into a new life of freedom. Those who care about reducing the suffering of other species can adapt this narrative in our quest to advance compassion and justice for millions of sentient creatures. The essential wrongfulness of turning other people into objects and depriving them of their full human freedom is also at play when inherently abusive industries—particularly the factory farming industry— rob animals of any experience of life other than pain and torment. As advocates for these victims who will never be able to plead their case, we can—without necessarily being abolitionists committed solely to ending animal agriculture entirely—look to the promise of redemption offered in Va’eira’, this week's parashah, as instructive and inspiring in our efforts to reduce suffering.

While still in the early stages of combating the evil of Egyptian slavery, God commands Moses (Exodus 6:6-8) to share with the Israelites a robust promise of redemption that contains several distinct actions. Various commentators have identified four different verbs that suggest four separate experiences of redemption (which are celebrated in the four cups of wine at the seder on Pesah) and other specific ways that God will radically alter life for the Israelites. One succinct interpretation that I like is from the commentator known as ’Adderet ’Eliyahu. A paraphrased translation of his parsing of these verses appears below. After each gloss, I have added a suggestion for how we can view our efforts on behalf of animals in a similar vain:

1. "I will free you from the oppressions of Egypt" (Exodus 6:6) refers to the enslavement with bricks and all their harsh servitude (i.e. the specific suffering that slavery brought to them).

This step is one of reform, of addressing particularly harmful forms of exploitation and abuse. We can begin our efforts at animal advocacy by working to eliminate certain problematic practices that have been commonplace in factory farming. Over the last ten years, some remarkable changes have occurred through legislation, industry response to pressure from animal advocacy groups, and market trends. These approaches reduce some suffering but as long as the scale of animal slaughter remains in the context of factory farming, the overall situation for animal welfare is still bleak.

2. "And I will deliver you from their bondage" (Exodus 6:6) means you will no longer be slaves to the Egyptians (i.e. the entire ordeal of Israelite slavery in Egypt will be brought to an end).

This promise could connect to our efforts at more radical transformation of the food industry. Working with smaller farms, getting government farm bills to shift their monetary focus, and reducing demand for meat through actual dietary change by more and more consumers can all have an impact. Here's where sharing our own stories as vegans, educating our friends and communities about the horrors of factory farming, dispelling myths about taste, convenience, and nutrition that all serve as obstacles to adoption of (or even a move towards) a vegan diet, patronizing establishments that offer more vegan options, getting Jewish organizations to reduce their focus on serving animal products, and even just being quiet role models of a more-compassionate lifestyle can all be part of a larger shift to significantly reduce the number of animals in factory farms and perhaps even one day topple the industry entirely.

3. "And I will redeem you" (Exodus 6:6) refers to the actual Exodus from Egypt (i.e. the leaving of land).

For this step, I want to focus on the dietary journey of one individual. We could see the steps above in a similar light: Step 1 could involve a person's choice to reduce meat and other animal ingredient consumption and perhaps look for certain labels regarding particular factory-farming practices; step 2 could involve a more rigorous commitment to only eating animal products from smaller or organic farms or perhaps adopting a vegetarian diet but not a vegan one. Step 3 would then be an Exodus from one's personal involvement in or support of animal agriculture—a complete departure from the entire landscape of eating animals or animal products, a total freeing of oneself from the boundaries we inherited that define animals as sources of our food. This Exodus, the adoption of a completely vegan lifestyle, is not only redemptive for the animals who will be spared each time another human consumer swears off eating animal products; it's also personally liberating and transformative for the human spirit. This spiritual liberation leads to the final experience of redemption:

4. “And I will take you…and you shall be” (Exodus 6:7) refers to the giving of the Torah (at Mt. Sinai).

There is much learning that one needs to engage in throughout their plant-based journey. Understanding what we're choosing to leave behind and how to both enjoy eating as a vegan and remain physically healthy all involve some study and acquisition of knowledge. These steps are part of our 'Torah,' our guidebook for vegan living.

But the promise of Mt. Sinai goes deeper than learning a way to live: it's a promise about living in a covenantal relationship with the Divine Source of Compassion and Justice. Some Jewish animal advocates have embraced a theology that sees their choice as a fulfillment of 'Divine will,' a higher order of Jewish ethical living when it comes to what they eat and how they relate to the wider natural world we share with other species. On the one hand, there's always more we can do to improve conditions for other creatures and live even more harmoniously within our ecosystem. The notion that embracing this lifestyle brings us more deeply into our covenant with God ought to inspire us to continue such work. On the other hand, living out our values with integrity by continuing to embrace our choice is an opportunity to stand at Mt. Sinai and experience an intimacy with our Creator who calls us to these choices. We can—while maintaining our humility—feel a spiritual expansiveness in contrast to the qotzer ruah (narrowness of spirit) that restricted the Israelites from fully hearing the very promises discussed here (Exodus 6:9) when they were still themselves enslaved in their old way of life.

May we hear the promises of redemption in these verses and continue to do our part to reduce animal suffering and to move further from diets that promote such suffering and closer to those that reflect the compassion that is at the core of our tradition.

SHAMAYIM: Jewish Animal Advocacy is a Jewish animal welfare organization that educates leaders, trains advocates, and leads campaigns for the ethical treatment of animals. Contact us at info@shamayimvaretz.org